THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 27, 1996 TAG: 9608270415
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 81 lines
People calling Bell Atlantic Corp.'s directory assistance to get phone numbers in Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore are being given the region's new area code, 757, with the number. It is another step in the process of getting phone users accustomed to the new code, which will become mandatory in southeastern Virginia Feb. 1, 1997. Previously, Bell Atlantic had said it would continue handing out numbers with 804, the current code for southeastern Virginia, until mid-November when people called 411. A company spokesman said the change wasn't as time-consuming as previously expected, however. (Staff) MCI seeks arbitrator in dispute with Bell Atlatic
MCI Communications Corp. on Monday joined AT&T Corp., Cox Communications Inc. and several other telecommunications companies in asking Virginia's State Corporation Commission to help it resolve differences with Bell Atlantic Corp. over the terms of planned local-exchange competition in the state. MCI, which like the other companies wants to branch into offering local phone services, asked the commission to arbitrate the terms by which it can exchange calls with Bell Atlantic and use parts of Bell Atlantic's network. The latter company is the largest local phone-service provider in Virginia. (Staff) Peninsula yard delivers sealift ship to Navy
Newport News Shipbuilding delivered the sealift ship Gordon to Navy on Friday. The Gordon is the first of two ships that the big Peninsula shipyard is converting for the Military Sealift Command. Both ships are former civilian freighters. It won the contract for the work in 1993. The rebuilt vessels will serve as roll-on/roll-off and lift-on/lift-off ships carrying Army vehicles, gear and supplies. They will be prepositioned near areas of potential conflict around the world. The Gordon has nearly 300,000 square feet of storage space and can transport an entire Armor Battalion Task Force. (Staff) Helig-Meyers grows during sluggish times
While other furniture retailers are closing stores or struggling to survive, Heilig-Meyers has been adding locations and acquiring other chains. Profits were down last year, sales are sluggish and its stock has fallen. But analysts said the company will weather the times because it can easily raise money. Richmond-based Heilig-Meyers has opened 132 stores in the past three years, acquired another 159 and moved into the West Coast and Puerto Rico. The company expects to open 80 to 100 stores this year, mostly in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. By the turn of the century, officials said the company will have 1,500 to 2,000 stores - more than double its current total. (Associated Press) U.S. home sales drop
Sales of previously owned homes fell 0.5 percent in July, the second straight decline, as mortgage rates remained over 8 percent. Still, the sales rate was well above the pace of 1995. The National Association of Realtors said that sales of existing single-family homes totaled 4.14 million at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, down from a revised 4.16 million in June. (AP) AccuStaff to acquire Career Horizons Inc.
AccuStaff Inc. said Monday it agreed to buy Career Horizons Inc. in a stock swap worth about $1 billion, a deal creating the nation's fourth-largest temporary staffing company. Accustaff, based in Jacksonville, Fla., has most of its offices in the Southeast, Northeast and Northern California, It also has operations in Hampton Roads. The combined company will have more than 750 offices in 43 states. (AP) Conseco to buy American Travellers
Conseco Inc., seeking to become a bigger heath insurance force, said it will buy American Travellers Corp., Capitol American Financial Corp. and boost its stake in two other insurers for $2.04 billion. Conseco, a life and health insurer will pay $165 million in cash and assume $280 million in debt in exchange for the 62 percent of American Life Holdings Inc. it doesn't hold. It also will pay $117 million in stock for the remaining 9.5 percent of life and health insurer Bankers Life Holding Corp. (Bloomberg) DuPont to close plant
DuPont Co. said it will close a Virginia nylon manufacturing plant and fire 600 people by the middle of 1998. DuPont, based in Martinsville, said it will stop producing nylon at its 55-year-old Martinsville plant, adding that jobs will be eliminated starting in mid-1997. The plant is expected to close by the middle of 1998. (Bloomberg) by CNB